There was once a forest made up of tiny trees that were all growing up together. They had been planted by a very old gardener who took care that they would all grow up to be straight and healthy. However, the area was hit by strong winds, and the little trees preferred to avoid the annoying winds, so they bent(弯) their trunks (树干) and branches to protect themselves.
The old man, knowing they could never grow well like this, decided to straighten them out, and spent many hours tying their tiny trunks to supporting poles(杆), hoping his beloved trees would understand he was doing this for their own good. But those naughty trees disliked all the wind. They always avoided the gardener’s help by bending themselves, hiding from the wind. One of those trees, one standing right in the middle of the forest, forced itself to grow up straight, patiently bearing the annoying wind.
Three years passed, and the old man died. And from then on the trees could grow however they liked, bending from the wind just as they pleased, with no one bothering them about it. All, that was, except the single straight tree in the center of the forest, who decided to grow up just as a tree should.
But as the forest grew, and the trees got thicker and stronger, they began to hear cracks(破裂声) from inside. Their branches and trunks needed to keep growing, but the trees were so twisted that the growth they were experiencing only brought them pain and suffering.
And it was a place with a special beauty since, right in its center, surrounded by thousands of short twisted trees, rose one impressive tree that was long and straight like no others. And that tree, the only one that never cracked, continued growing, without a worry for the changeable wind.Why did the trees bend their trunks and branches?
| A．Because the gardener often touched them. |
| B．Because the wind were not strong. |
| C．Because they protected themselves from being destroyed. |
| D．Because they were very shy and afraid to meet the wind. |
What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
| A．The gardener was kind and treated the trees well. |
| B．The trees disliked the gardener. |
| C．The gardener was cruel to the trees. |
| D．The trees were all naughty. |
How long did the old gardener look after the trees?
| A．Two years. | B．Three years. |
| C．Four years. | D．Five years. |
We can learn from the fourth paragraph that .
| A．the trees lived happily |
| B．the trees liked to stay with each other |
| C．the trees missed the old gardener |
| D．the trees suffered from their actions |
The British film star Hugh Grant can’t seem to work out what women want.
“There’s no girl who only wants bastards（坏蛋），and no girl who wants a nice guy（伙计）.Women want both,” the British star tells the May issue of the Talk magazine. “And，really，they’d like to change by turns on a weekly basis. Can any man be both? I like to keep women guessing.”
Since Grant’s break-up last year with his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley，the thought of throwing himself into another big relationship doesn’t seem like it’s expected.
“How easy do you think it is to find someone you can share 14 years of personal jokes with? Not easy. And I don’t know that I will，” he says.
Still，the 40-year-old star admits he can’t help thinking that his clock is ticking.
“In the end，I want to have kids（children）.But in the back of my mind，I never wanted to have kids until I’d done something I’m proud of written a book，had my name on something really worthwhile,” he says. “I’m determined not to be in front of the cameras any more.”
With all of these concerns（心思)inside，has Grant ever considered seeing a psychiatrist（精神病医生）to sort things out?
“I don’t think I need treatment，thank you,” sniffs the star.
“I’m frightened of those people. And more than that，I don’t want to know what lies beneath（在下面）.”Judging from what Hugh Grant says，the film star may consider himself ______________.
| A．either a bastard or a nice guy |
| B．both a bastard and a nice guy at the same time |
| C．a bastard in one week and a nice guy in the other |
| D．neither a bastard nor a nice guy |
Hugh Grant _________________.
| A．is looking for another girlfriend at the present time |
| B．never feels sure of finding a girlfriend who can take the place of Elizabeth Hurley |
| C．considers it a shame to look for another girlfriend |
| D．doesn’t value much the relationship he had with Elizabeth Hurley |
The underlined clause “his clock is ticking” possibly means _________.
| A．he’s having a good time |
| B．he can’t stand being single |
| C．his film life is going to end soon |
| D．he is getting too old |
Hugh Grant thinks that he is not yet successful enough to be _______.
| A．a nice guy |
| B．a husband |
| C．a film star |
| D．a father |
My Aunt Edith was a widow of 50, working as a secretary, when doctors discovered what was then thought to be a very serious heart illness．
Aunt Edith doesn’t accept defeat easily. She began studying medical reports in the library and found an article in a magazine about a well-known heart doctor Dr. Michael DeBakey, of Houston, Texas. He had saved the life of someone with the same illness. The article said Dr. DeBakey’s fees were very high；Aunt Edith couldn’t possibly pay them．But could he tell her of someone whose fee she could pay?
So Aunt Edith wrote to him．She simply listed her reasons for wanting to live；her three children, who would be on their own in three or four more years, among them a little girl who always dreamed of traveling and seeing the world．There wasn’t a word of self-pity—only warmth and humor and the joy of living．She mailed the letter, not really expecting an answer．
A few days later, my doorbell rang．Aunt Edith didn’t wait to come in：she stood in the hall and read aloud:
Your beautiful letter moved me very deeply．If you can come to Houston, there will be no charge for either the hospital or the operation.
Signed：Michael DeBakey
That was seven years ago．Since then, Aunt Edith has been around the world．Her three children are happily married．For her age, she is one of the youngest ,most alive people I know．“Aunt Edith doesn’t accept defeat easily” means that ______
| A．she is very beautiful |
| B．she is very strong |
| C．she is very brave |
| D．she is very warm-hearted |
Why did Aunt Edith write to Dr. DeBakey? Because ____
| A．she had no time to visit him |
| B．she didn’t know the wav to Houston |
| C．she didn’t believe in him |
| D．she wanted to get some help from him |
In fact, Aunt Edith’s letter to Dr.DeBakey was full of _____.
| A．courage |
| B．illness |
| C．pity |
| D．sadness |
After reading Dr. DeBakey’s letter, Aunt Edith felt ______.
| A．discouraged |
| B．frightened |
| C．disappointed |
| D．encouraged |
She's rarely seen without an elegant handbag on her arm, but the question of what the Queen keeps inside it has long remained a mystery. Now a new book claims to cast light on the contents of the royal matriarch's main possession.
What's In The Queen's Handbag: And Other Royal Secrets reveals that though the 81yearold British monarch(君主)doesn't carry cash, keys or passport—since she doesn't own one—her bag is far from empty. Inside are a collection of little presents from her children, a makeup case, some family photos, and a camera sometimes. There's also an sshaped metal hook that she places on the dinner table's edge to hang her bag from so that it doesn't touch the floor.
Should you ever meet the Queen, it's not what's in her bag but what she does with it that should concern you. She uses her bags, of which she has about 200 made by Londonbased firm Launier, to send signals to her staff.
Before dining with the Queen, a point is made to inform guests that dinner will end in about five minutes after she places her bag on the table top.
On walkabouts, she holds the bag to one side to show she intends to move on, at which point a ladyinwaiting joins the conversation, allowing her to slip away without causing offence.
When at a banquet, if the Queen's bag is placed on the floor, then it's a sign that she's not finding the conversation interesting, and wants nothing more than to escape. However, if the royal bag is dangling happily from the crook of her left arm, she is happy and relaxed.What does the article tell us about the Queen's handbag?
| A．She seldom has it with her. |
| B．She always carries the same handbag. |
| C．It used to be thought empty. |
| D．Its contents are not the same as ours. |
When is it necessary for the Queen to convey her intention with her bag?
| A．When she is with guests. |
| B．When she eats outside. |
| C．When she has her staff around. |
| D．When she is tired of speaking. |
The Queen gives no signal when she________.
| A．hangs her bag on the metal hook |
| B．hangs her bag from her left arm |
| C．places her bag on the floor |
| D．puts her bag on the table top |
By holding her bag to one side, the Queen shows she wants to________.
| A．talk to her ladyinwaiting |
| B．start a conversation |
| C．stop to continue her walk |
| D．go on with the talk |
The high-protein, low-carbohydrate (碳水化合物) diets many people turn to for weight loss might have potentially harmful long-term effects on the colon, a small study indicates.
In the study, UK researchers found that a protein-heavy, low-carb diet created certain changes in the colon that could contribute to colon cancer risk The study itself does not show whether high-protein diets really raise the risk of any colon diseases, but the findings raise that possibility.
Diets relatively high in protein and lower in carbs have been shown to help heavy people lose weight. "People should not be discouraged from losing weight," Dr Flint said. However, he added, they should make sure that any weight loss plan includes adequate amounts of fiber and a high protein intake over months to years might have ill effects on the colon.
The findings are based on 17 overweight men who followed three short-term diets: a one-week menu plan to keep their weight; a four-week high-protein diet with reasonable amounts of carbohydrates; and a four-week high-protein diet low in carbs.
On average, the study found when the men were on the high-protein diets, they had higher levels of substances known as N-nitroso compounds (亚硝基化合物) and other metabolites (代谢物) that have been linked to cancer. And when they were on the high-protein, low-carb diet, they had lowered amounts of fiber-originated compounds thought to be protective against cancer.
Exactly what those changes might mean for a person's health is not clear. But Flint said that the findings suggest that people should be cautious about consuming too much protein and too little fiber over a long period. In general, experts recommend that adults get about 28 grams of fiber per day-though it's not known whether that's enough for someone on a high-protein weight-loss diet. What is the best title of the text?
A Plan a Healthy Diet
B. Take Care of Your Colon
C. How to Lose Weight
D. How to Protect against Cancer The underlined word "colon" in Paragraph 1 probably refers to "_____".
| A．an organ |
| B．intelligence |
| C．a habit |
| D．behaviour |
The study shows that high-protein, low-carb diets may _____.
| A．affect your mood |
| B．lower cancer risks |
| C．harm your body |
| D．keep your figure |
It can be inferred from the text that _____.
| A．we shouldn't take the study seriously |
| B．weight problems are hard to solve |
| C．it is better to follow a low-carb diet |
| D．people should be cautious to lose weight |
The author is intended to _____.
| A．advise how to lose weight |
| B．introduce a scientific finding |
| C．describe a research process |
| D．talk about healthy diets |
In America it is common for children as young as four to participate in organized activities. Piano and ballet lessons, scouts meetings, soccer and softball practices surround their normal school schedules. However, one person is very important in the logistics of how these children are able to get from swimming practice to French lessons: The Soccer Mom. The Soccer Mom is a very important stereotype in American suburban life. The phrase Soccer Mom was first created in 1995 and broadly refers to a married middle-class woman who lives in the suburbs, works outside the home and has school age children. Much of her time is spent managing her children's schedules and transporting them to sporting events and other activities. The image of the Soccer Mom conjures a busy woman who drives a minivan large enough to contain her children, their friends and their sporting equipment. Once they arrive at the sporting event or other activity, the Soccer Mom will stay to watch, serving granola bars and juice to their children after their game or activity is finished.
In America, the roles of mother and of career woman demand opposite responsibilities from a woman. The role of a career woman is to work hard and climb the corporate ladder, while the role of mother often asks women to put her family's interests ahead of her own. The Soccer Mom attempts to straddle this divide, at once balancing her children and their activities with her own life outside her family. The Soccer Mom becomes overburdened with the weight of responsibilities. A 1999 poll states that being stressed out is one of the most frequently mentioned characteristics of a Soccer Mona. Yet without Soccer Moms, who would fill the responsibilities of getting children to where they needed to be? The best title for this passage is "_____".
| A．The Hectic Lifestyle of Suburban Children |
| B．The American Family |
| C．Minivans the Realm of the Soccer Mom |
| D．Soccer Moms in American Society |
The main role of Soccer Moms is _____.
| A．transporting their children |
| B．buying things for their children |
| C．pushing their children to achieve |
| D．a successful career |
Why are American mothers stressed out?
| A．Because they are very career centered. |
| B．Because they work and have children. |
| C．Because they push their children to achieve. |
| D．Because their husbands are lazy. |
What is a frequently mentioned characteristic of Soccer Moms?
| A．Overburdened. |
| B．Working outside the home. |
| C．Having young children. |
| D．Bringing juice to soccer games. |
What does "Climbing the corporate ladder" mean?
| A．Working. |
| B．Having a career as a woman. |
| C．Advancing your career. |
| D．Working in a ladder factory. |